"And what did you do then?" asked Holmes.
福尔摩斯问道:"那你怎么办呢?"
"I went home to Saxe-Coburg Square, and I took the advice of my assistant.
"我回到我在萨克斯科伯格广场的家去。我接受了我伙计的劝告。
But he could not help me in any way. He could only say that if I waited I should hear by post.
可是,他的劝告根本帮不了我的忙。他只是说,如果我耐心等待,也许能收到来信,从中得到消息。
But that was not quite good enough, Mr. Holmes.
但是,福尔摩斯先生,这些话并不是那么中听的。
I did not wish to lose such a place without a struggle,
我不愿意不经过斗争就失去这么好的位置。
so, as I had heard that you were good enough to give advice to poor folk who were in need of it, I came right away to you."
因为我听说你肯给不知道如何是好的穷人出主意,我就立即到你这里来了。"
"And you did very wisely," said Holmes.
福尔摩斯先生说:"你这样做很明智。
"Your case is an exceedingly remarkable one, and I shall be happy to look into it.
你的案件是桩很了不起的案件,我很乐意管。
From what you have told me I think that it is possible that graver issues hang from it than might at first sight appear."
从你所告诉我的经过看,可能它牵连的问题要比乍看起来更为严重。"
"Grave enough!" said Mr. Jabez Wilson. "Why, I have lost four pound a week."
杰贝兹·威尔逊先生说:"够严重的啦!你想想,我每周损失四英镑啊。"
"As far as you are personally concerned," remarked Holmes, "I do not see that you have any grievance against this extraordinary league.
福尔摩斯又说:"就你本人来说,我认为你不应该抱怨这个不同寻常的团体。
On the contrary, you are, as I understand, richer by some 30 pounds,
正相反,据我所知,你白白赚了三十多个英镑,
to say nothing of the minute knowledge which you have gained on every subject which comes under the letter A. You have lost nothing by them."
且不说你抄了那么多以字母A为词头的词,增长了不少知识。你干这些事并不吃亏嘛。"
"No, sir. But I want to find out about them, and who they are, and what their object was in playing this prank–if it was a prank–upon me.
"是不吃亏。但是,先生,我想知道那到底是怎么回事,那都是些什么人?他们拿我开玩笑的目的又是什么--如果确实是开玩笑的话。
It was a pretty expensive joke for them, for it cost them two and thirty pounds."
他们开这个玩笑可是花了不少钱啊,他们花了三十二个英镑。"